Though gnom es love jokes of all kinds, particularly
puns and pranks, they’re just as dedicated to the more
serious tasks they undertake. Many gnom es are skilled
engineers, alchemists, tinkers, and inventors. They’re
willing to make mistakes and laugh at themselves in
the process of perfecting what they do, taking bold
(sometimes foolhardy) risks and dreaming large.Br ig h t Bu r r o w s
Gnomes make their homes in hilly, w ooded lands. They
live underground but get more fresh air than dwarves
do, enjoying the natural, living world on the surface
whenever they can. Their homes are well hidden by
both clever construction and simple illusions. W elcome
visitors are quickly ushered into the bright, warm
burrows. Those who are not w elcom e are unlikely to
find the burrows in the first place.
Gnomes who settle in human lands are commonly
gemcutters, engineers, sages, or tinkers. Som e human
families retain gnome tutors, ensuring that their pupils
enjoy a mix of serious learning and delighted enjoyment.
A gnome might tutor several generations of a single
human family over the course of his or her long life.Gn o m e Na m e s
Gnomes love names, and most have half a dozen or so.
A gnome's mother, father, clan elder, aunts, and uncles
each give the gnome a name, and various nicknames
from just about everyone else might or might not stick
over time. Gnome names are typically variants on the
names of ancestors or distant relatives, though som e
are purely new inventions. When dealing with humans
and others w ho are “stuffy” about names, a gnome
learns to use no more than three names: a personal
name, a clan name, and a nickname, choosing the one in
each category that’s the most fun to say.
Deep Gn o m es
A third subrace of gnomes, the deep gnomes (or svirfneblin),
live in small communities scattered in the Underdark. Unlike
the duergar and the drow, svirfneblin are as good as their
surface cousins. However, their humor and enthusiasm
are dampened by their oppressive environment, and their
inventive expertise is directed mostly toward stonework.Male Names: Alston, Alvyn, Boddynock, Brocc, Burgell,
Dimble, Eldon, Erky, Fonkin, Frug, Gerbo, Gimble,
Glim, Jebeddo, Kellen, Namfoodle, Orryn, Roondar,
Seebo, Sindri, Warryn, Wrenn, Zook
Female Names: Bimpnottin, Breena, Caramip, Carlin,
Donella, Duvamil, Ella, Ellyjobell, Ellywick, Lilli,
Loopmottin, Lorilla, Mardnab, Nissa, Nyx, Oda, Orla,
Roywyn, Shamil, Tana, Waywocket, Zanna
Clan Names: Beren, Daergel, Folkor, Garrick, Nackle,
Murnig, Ningel, Raulnor, Scheppen, Timbers, Turen
Nicknames: Aleslosh, Ashhearth, Badger, Cloak,
Doublelock, Filchbatter, Fnipper, Ku, Nim, Oneshoe,
Pock, Sparklegem, StumbleduckSe e in g t h e Wo r l d
Curious and impulsive, gnom es might take up
adventuring as a way to see the world or for the love
of exploring. As lovers of gems and other fine items,
som e gnom es take to adventuring as a quick, if
dangerous, path to wealth. Regardless of what spurs
them to adventure, gnom es w ho adopt this way of life
eke as much enjoyment out of it as they do out of any
other activity they undertake, sometimes to the great
annoyance of their adventuring companions.Gn o m e Tr a it s
Your gnome character has certain characteristics in
com m on with all other gnomes.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 2.
Age. Gnom es mature at the same rate humans do, and
most are expected to settle down into an adult life by
around age 40. They can live 350 to almost 500 years.
Alignment. Gnomes are most often good. Those who
tend toward law are sages, engineers, researchers,
scholars, investigators, or inventors. Those who tend
toward chaos are minstrels, tricksters, wanderers,
or fanciful jewelers. Gnomes are good-hearted, and